Some of my best tips for sales shopping are up on Pivot Boutique’s blog. There are some amazing deals at this terrific women’s clothing boutique, which specializes in clothes and accessories made with environmentally sustainable materials and processes–a Lara Miller top for $49 is a steal, trust me.

If you’re planning a visit to Europe this month, you may not get to enjoy the full experience of a long walk enjoying the greenery in the Borghese Gardens of Rome or the grounds of Versailles under a warm sun–but the annual sales might make up for the chilly weather and bare branches. The government-mandated sales period that starts in January and runs to about mid-February (there is another one in July) offers lots of chances to pick up super-chic clothes at a discount–which gets steeper as the weeks pass by. This is good news for Americans, who have been suffering from a low dollar for quite a while now.  Hotels also offer lower rates during this low season, and crowds are generally nonexistent at tourist sites. That might just be an incentive for you to snatch up a last-minute fare and head across the pond.

In Paris, I always check out the boutiques of my favorite French designers,  Isabel Marant in the gentrifying Bastille neighborhood (16, Rue Charonne) and Vanessa Bruno (my favorite location is at 25, rue St. Sulpice, a beautiful area for a stroll and “window-licking,” as the French say instead of “window shopping”). Colette (213, rue Saint-Honore), a bastion of cool and the prototype for “lifestyle boutiques” all over the world, is also a must. Check out this story in the New York Times for more info. If you go, bring back some macarons (I like the chocolate and salted caramel versions) from Pierre Herme for me!

In Italy my favorite store is probably Ethic, which offers unusually detailed or textured pieces at affordable prices. How I wish they offered online shopping! At the (much more) expensive end, I am a devotee of Marni, the appealingly girlish yet chic line by Consuelo Castiglioni. Stop by the flagship boutique in Milan’s “Golden Triangle,” a posh shopping neighborhood that’s home to the country’s most respected names in fashion.

Bon voyage!

Assuming you haven’t been living in a cave, you know that the economy is in trouble and that the retail sector is especially desperate. Every day I get about a half-dozen emails advertising 30 to 40 percent off new items at boutiques, chain stores, and department stores, not to mention gift cards worth up to $50 off. This past weekend Saks held a fire sale on designer items–prices were slashed up to 75 percent.

It’s a great time to find deals or splurge if you’ve got the money. But I often warn clients to be careful about sales–that low, low price can blind you to the fact that it doesn’t look all the great on you or that you’ve got absolutely nothing to wear with it.

By all means, take advantage of the sales this season! But hang on to the same standards you would use if something is full price. Take a deep breath to clear your mind and ask yourself these questions about each item:

• Is it on your list of items of clothing you are actively looking for?
• Does it fit perfectly? Will it need complicated alterations?
• Does it go with at least three things you already own?
• Would you like it as much at the full price?

If the answers to these questions is “no,” it’s not really a bargain, no matter the number on the price tag.